Munich and Leipzig
It is built of rock-stone, 300 feet high, and 500 steps lead the visitors to its top. It cost 6 million marks and it took 15 years to complete this great architectural monument, which was inaugurated in 1913.
By Olympic Gold Medallist M. N. Masood
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Munich and Leipzig | We passed the street called the 'Street
of 18th October', after the date of the battle of Leipzig in 1813. At the end
of the '18th October' rises the colossal monument of 'Battle of Nations', which
commemorates the battle of Leipzig.
It is built of rock-stone, 300 feet high, and 500 steps lead the visitors to its top. It cost 6 million marks and it took 15 years to complete this great architectural monument, which was inaugurated in 1913. |
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arrived at Munich at 8:15 pm on 19th August. The journey of about seven hours
was spent in dozing and talking idly, as usual. Two minutes walk from the
station brought us to the hotel Schottenhamel, where we were put up.
On account of Hitler's regime, Munich became a thing of interest to us for here it was on January 5th, 1919, that the German National Socialist Workers Party, the N.S.D.A.P. was founded.
It was in Munich that the Fuhrer gathered his first faithful followers, and on February 1921, he proclaimed his programme to them. Nine months later, the old-timers of the party fought for life and death, shoulder to shoulder, in the famous battle in the hall of the Hofbrauhaus.
On November 9th, 1923, sixteen of the best gave their lives for the future of Germany, unshakable in their belief in the Fuhrer's mission. These martyrs were mounted "Eternal Guard" in the Temples of Honour on Konigsplatz, twelve years later on November 9th, 1935.
In 1931, Hitler's party first manisfested its power by the inauguration of the Brown House. Munich is, therefore, the home of Hitler’s movement, and more than ordinary interest was attached to our visit to this famous town.
Konigssee
On 20th August, we visited the Konigssee, a favourite resort of Hitler on weekends. It is called the ‘Pearl of the Berchtesgarden District’, and is regarded as one of the finest beauty spots in the Alps.
It is 200 miles south-east of Munich, and is situated in the sublime loneliness of the mountains, surrounded by towering cliffs, and its banks unspoilt by road or rail.
We left the hotel at 9:30 am by char-a-banc in drizzling rain. Not an ideal day for seeing the Konigssee, but when it was the only day at our disposal, weather did not matter much.
At 12:15 pm, we took our lunch at Hotel Deutscher in the small town of Bad Reichennhall, and started again after lunch, reaching the Konigssee at 2:00 pm at its northern end.
We hired a motor boat for an hour, and soon glided past the bathing ghats and the little island of Christlieger.
At Brentenwand, the captain of our launch played the bugle, and we heard its echo reverberate seven times amongst the surrounding hills before it died away.
The drizzle had stopped by now and the sun peeped out from amongst the fleeting clouds, making the placid lake and the surrounding cliffs still more lovely.
At the request of some of the members, Mohammad Hussain sang two love songs in Urdu in his clear, melodious voice. The songs took us far away from the scenic beauty of the Bavarian lake to India and her people.
Isn’t it strange that when we were enjoying the most the sight of the beautiful lake, a mere song put into oblivion what was so impressive a moment before, and carried us on the wings of imagination to the people whom we had long left behind? Such is the strong tie of the motherland!
We touched the shore at 4:00 pm, and raced the way back to the hotel. At Bad Reichenhall, we stopped again and enjoyed the very thrilling experience of being elevated to an altitude of 5,000 feet above sea level in exactly 9 minutes by means of ropeways.
Passing cliff after cliff with an amazing speed, rising higher and higher, enveloped in clouds and at last stepping onto the highest peak of a mountain in very different atmospheric conditions from these which we had left a few minutes before – was this not an exciting experience to a crowd like us?
We had our tea at this high altitude in the cosy restaurant of Predigstuhl, a harp playing all the time and two sweet Bavarian girls serving bashfully our spirited crowd, the turbans and beards of Gurucharan Singh and Pritam Singh being very conspicuous.
Half an hour later, we had again the thrilling experience of ropeways, this time of a descent. At ten in the evening, we arrived back in the hotel and to a late dinner. Thus ended a very pleasant day and an enjoyable drive of 400 miles over concrete roads in a comfortable char-a-banc.
The memory of the placid lake, the peeping sun, the love songs by Mohammad Hussain, the lift in the ropeways, the Bavarian maids and the sweet melody of the harp will remain with us for many a year.
India 5 – Bavarian XI 0
On 23rd August, India played her third match of the tour in Munich Stadium at 4:15 pm, and won 5-0. There was a fairly big crowd, who returned home not very much disappointed with the display of the 'wonder team'.
India gave a better account of herself than at Mannheim. Dhyan Chand was in his best form, and scored three goals in his now infrequent bursts of wizardry when he is almost unstoppable. Jaffar and Roop scored one goal each.
The half-backs and full-backs, though worked hard, were lacking in that cohesion which makes a real team. Allen was safe in the goal.
The Indian team was as follows: Allen; Tapsell and Mohammad Hussain; Cullen, Masood and Gallibardy; Ahmad Sher Khan, Jaffar, Dhyan Chand, Roop Singh and P. Fernandes.
The Mayor of Munich and the officials of the Bavarian Hockey Association welcomed us in a cafe and dined with us. The Bavarian players were also present. An illustrated book showing the places of interest in Munich was presented to each of us.
The following day, we left Munich at 12:42 pm for Leipzig, carrying away very pleasant memories of the four days stay in the 'Home of German art in which reigns the joy of life'. The picturesque dress of the Bavarian peasants and the long hair and clear cut features of the Bavarian girls left an impression on us.
Leipzig
We arrived in Leipzig on 24th August at 8:44 pm, and were received very joyfully by a waiting crowd of some two hundred young hunters of autographs, the first big crowd to welcome us at a station since we left Berlin.
The Leipzig station is regarded as the largest station in the world, and it was here that the first railway train of Germany started its journey a hundred years ago.
We were transferred to the Hotel Furstenhoff, the most luxurious hotel in town. It was a pity that we stayed there only for a night, and could not enjoy long its soft carpeted rooms, springy beds, hot and cold shower baths and its costly furniture.
The Mayor received us immediately after our arrival in the 'Cellar' of the New Town Hall. This 'Cellar' was a low-roofed eight-pillared hall. About a hundred persons, including commercial and industrial magnates of the town, city officials and members of Brown and Black Shirts were also invited to dine with us.
Speeches were made by the Mayor, Mr. Jagannath and Mr. Gupta. Mr. Jagannath emphasised the importance of sports in the world of today, and expressed his belief that if every country took the games seriously, there would be no war.
Mr. Gupta praised the German organisation in conducting wonderfully the XIth Olympiad. It was about midnight when we left our hosts to their coffee and cigars for the hotel to a much needed rest.
A sight-seeing trip round the town was arranged the following morning. We started in a bus on this trip at 10:15 am, proceeding along the ‘Ring’, the street so called as it encircles the whole old town of Leipzig and substitutes the moat of old time.
We came upon the church of St. Thomas, where Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the greatest musicians of all times, was the organist. We passed his statue amongst trees at the back of the church, saw the old and the new Town Halls, and then proceeded along the street where the world famous Leipzig Fair is held twice a year, in Easter and in the end of August.
We were now passing the street called the 'Street of 18th October', after the date of the battle of Leipzig in 1813. At the end of the '18th October' rises the colossal monument of 'Battle of Nations', which commemorates the battle of Leipzig that heralded the fall of the dreaded 'Bonnie'.
It is built of rock-stone, 300 feet high, and 500 steps lead the visitors to its top. Thieme was the builder, 6 million marks were spent on the construction - all the money subscribed by the public - and it took 15 years to complete this great architectural monument, which was inaugurated in 1913.
On its western side are carved a gigantic figure of St. Michael, the War-God of the Germans, the battleground with its dead and dying warriors and horses, two eagles, and an inscription in the German language meaning 'God with us'.
Goethe studied in Leipzig's university for three years, and the citizens of Leipzig claim that most of his ideas in the first part of his Faust can be ascribed to the period he spent amongst them.
Leipzig is also the birth-place of Richard Wagner, and enjoys world-wide fame as a centre of the book-trade and graphic art, which is not excelled anywhere else in the world.
India 7 – Saxony XI 1
India played her fourth match of the tour on 25th August at 6:00 pm before a fairly big crowd and on an almost perfect ground.
The Leipzig players appeared to have been suffering from an inferiority complex, and let India have her way as she liked. Four goals were scored in the 6th, 10th, 15th and 20th minute, and double the number missed by India through being spectacular, even in the striking area.
After being four goals down, the local team felt familiar with the visitors' game, and began to show signs of life and determination in their attacks. At the interval, India was leading 4-0; Dhyan 2 and Emmett 2.
After resumption, exchanges became more even and the crowd began to cheer its boys to greater efforts. India was still indulging in spectacular play, and paid the penalty by a goal scored against her.
This spurred her to action, and three goals were put on in quick succession. Again she relapsed to her favourite play and finished the match with a victory in her favour, 7-1.
The Indian team was as follows: Mitchie; Tapsell and Mohammad Hussain; Nimal, Cullen and Gallibardy; Shahabuddin, Emmett, Dhyan Chand, Roop Singh and Jaffar.
We left Leipzig after dinner at 8:44 pm for Berlin.
At the colossal 'Battle of Nations' monument in Leipzig